Colorado Focuses On Markets
New legislative measures
provide incentives for products and projects that use tire-derived
materials. The new measures significantly change the emphasis
of Colorado's scrap tire law from cleaning up scrap tire piles
to market development.
In 1998,
the Colorado General Assembly expanded the Colorado Waste Tire
Program by passing legislation (S.B. 98-198) to provide recycling
incentives to local and state government public projects for
products that contain or make use of recycled waste tires.
Under the
new bill, a total of 20 percent of the DIvision of Local Governments'
(DLG) Waste Tire Development Fees are available to local governments
and state agencies purchasing products made from recycled waste
tire materials. DLG reimburses applicants 75 percent of their
total purchases.
To date,
a total of $8,100 (75 percent of total purchase) has been allocated
to the Town of Breckenridge to purchase a soil amendment.made
from finely ground recycled tire rubber for application to the
Town's athletic fields. The Town anticipates the soil amendment
will reduce wear and tear on the heavily-used athletic fields
and reduce maintenance costs.
In addition,
DLG has been working with several jurisdictions on projects
which are expected to be initiated during the first quarter
of 1999. These include possible applications for funds from
Lakewood for installation of a recycled tire rubber surface
in a horse arena; Broomfield and Lafayettee for soil amendments
and a second application from the Town of Breckenridge for horse
arena rubberized footing.
Partial
reimbursements encourage product use
Also in 1998, the Colorado General Assembly passed H.B. 98-1176
to provide partial reimbursements to waste tire processors and
end users. Ten percent of DLG's portion of the Waste Tire Recycling
Development Fee is allocated to this program in accordance with
the legislation. Reimbursements of up to $20 per ton are paid
to end users and waste tire processors certifying to the documented,
approved use of processed waste tire material.
Since the
start of the reimbursement program three Colorado processors
have received reimbursements totalling $21,200.60.
Research
initiative
Another new aspect of the program added during the 1998 legislative
session is a measure which provides funds to the Colorado Advanced
Technology Research Institute (CATI) to obtain matching funds
from federal or private sources, if possible.
Up to 10
percent of DLG's portion of the Waste Tire Recycling Development
Fee is available to CATI to underwrite research projects.
Through its
affiliates, the Colorado Advanced Materials Institute and the
Colorado School of Mines, CATI will seek proposals from faculty
in Colorado's colleges and universities to partner with tire
recycling businesses to research the potential of innovative
technologies to use waste tires and produce products of potential
commercial value from waste tires. To date, DLG has transferred
$28,933.58 to CATI for the research effort which is expected
to get underway in 1999.
Colorado's
waste tire program is funded by a $1 per tire fee levied on
all waste tires turned in to tire dealers at the time of purchase
of new tires. Fifty percent of the net Waste Tire Recycling
Development Fee accrues to the Colorado Housing Finanace Authority
to provide low-interest loans to recycling businesses. The other
50 percent accrues to the Division of Local Government Waste
Tire Program. The purpose of the DLG program is to clean up
waste tire stockpiles and encourage beneficial recycling.
